Learning Math with Minecraft and Base 10 Blocks

My daughter recently discovered that base 10 blocks are perfect for recreating Minecraft structures, people and animals in real life.  She made this discovery while playing with the blocks as a part of a hands-on math lesson, led by her tutor.

Note:  She has started working with a tutor because, according to her, I make math boring. And she is absolutely right. It’s not my thing. Sometimes as homeschooling  parents, we have to admit when we need a little assistance. Every now and then, finding a tutor or mentor who will help reignite a child’s love of learning in a particular subject changes everything!

Using base ten blocks, my daughter practiced addition, subtraction (including regrouping), multiplication and learned a few new concepts without any grouchiness. When she completed a new object, we took a photo and she wrote down how many blocks (squares) used. She then figured out how many were left over based on the number of squares we have in total and calculated the difference when compared to her other creations. In the end, she created book of her creations, showing everything she learned from the project.

Below are a few of the creatures she created. Many of her creations are based on Minecraft characters, because she was able  see the similarities of how they are designed.

It may seem like really simple math here. In a way, it is. But there was so much more going on for her. She worked for hours without a break (her choice!) mastering multiple concepts in an afternoon. There wasn’t a single worksheet in sight, yet she owns these concepts in a way she never has before.

And the fact that she was happy, excited, dare I say joyful over math? That is priceless.